Washington Post: ESPN apologizes for playing ‘Dixie’ during playoff game

Viewers watching Saturday night’s NFL playoff game between the Indianapolis Colts and the Houston Texans were treated to the song “Dixie” — the unofficial anthem of the Confederacy, 11 states that seceded from the United States — during the telecast on ESPN.

ESPN issued an apology Sunday after it used “Dixie” the day before in a graphic about the pass protection for Colts quarterback Andrew Luck. The network reportedly blamed the use of the song, widely associated with pro-Confederacy sentiment, on a production staffer.

The graphic was shown during Saturday’s Colts-Texans playoff game, in which Luck led Indianapolis to a 21-7 win. Appearing to play off the popular Twitter account “Capt. Andrew Luck,” in which the quarterback is portrayed as a Civil War officer to humorous effect, ESPN had the Colts star dodging cannon balls while clad in Union military garb.

“It was a mistake to use this song. We regret having done so and we apologize,” ESPN spokesman Josh Krulewitz said in a statement to Michael McCarthy of Sporting News.

Read the complete Washington Post article, including background on the song, here.

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